Checklist of insect and acarine fauna associated with sponge gourd, Luffa cylindrica (L.) in the Indo-Gangetic plains of India

Abstract

Surveys for the insect and acarine fauna associated with
sponge gourd in the Indo-Gangetic Plains of Varanasi,
Mirzapur and Deoria districts of Eastern Uttar Pradesh, India
were carried out during the Kharif seasons of 2013-16.
Insects belonging to seven orders were recorded were either
phytophagous viz., Diptera, Coleoptera, Lepidoptera,
Hemiptera and Orthoptera or predatory viz., Coleoptera,
Hemiptera and Dictyoptera or were pollinating the crop viz.,
Hymenoptera. Amongst the pests, melon weevil (Acythopeus
curvirostris citrulli), cucurbit fruit fly (Bactrocera
cucurbitae), Blister beetle (Mylabris phalerata and M.
pustulata) and whitefly (Bemisia tabaci) were observed as
major pests as their damage were e”10 per cent. Other pests
like pumpkin beetles (Raphidopalpa foveicollis,
Aulocophora lewisii, Aulacophora intermedia), leaf miner
(Liriomyza trifolii), aphid (Aphis gossypii), gall fly
(Lasioptera falcate), cucumber moth (Diaphania indica),
Red spider mite (Tetranychus spp.) etc. were the minor pests
of this summer cucurbit. This paper records the insects and
acarines associated with this crop for the first time from this
region.